HTC Advantage X7500

This is undoubtedly the largest mobile devices that we have been able to test! The Advantage X7500 from HTC boasts a superb touch screen 5 inches, which is usually found on GPS autonomous high-end. Obviously, this has resulted in excess of standard dimensions: 13.35 x 9.8 x 1.6 cm with a weight of almost 300 grams. A monster so that you do not keep it easily in a pocket. Whether you do not wear the ear more elsewhere, as much for reasons of overweight than aesthetics. The contours of the screen are sober, with the presence of a small joypad, keys and Windows Ok barely visible, and a button named E (Internet Explorer) and topped with an icon corresponding to the technology VueFLO . We will return later. Around the owner would not be complete if we failed to mention the photo sensor on the front for video calls and the one on the back, accompanied by a flash diode for the shooting. On the right are the button to take pictures, housing stylus, the button access to functions and the wireless button ignition. On the left side there is a knob sound, a headphone jack 3.5 mm, a mini port for connection to PC and the battery charge. Not to mention a connector assigned to specific video VGA connection (to a monitor or video projector). Two speakers provide stereo sound quality passable. A trapdoor in the front reveals the battery, the location for a SIM card (you must remove the battery to be inserted), and for a miniSD memory card. Right next appear contactors used to establish liaison with the removable keyboard.

In fact, this device comes with a flat keyboard for easy data entry. But it distinguishes itself from all its competitors: it is magnetic and just automatically set at the base of the Advantage X7500. The strength of the magnet is enough for the two do not move, even under the shaking of a train or a plane. A small concern: it is appropriate to adopt the precautionary principle and not on the keyboard approach a bank card or an object sensitive to magnetic fields. The keypad keys are flat and widely spaced. They provide a quick strike but do no witnesses seizure. Neither click sound or feeling the draft. To control the strike, it was thus imperative to look at the screen. The keyboard layout is francisée (azerty), but the accents are not as immediately accessible on a PC keyboard. It takes a little manipulation: tap on the vowel, and then on the blue button (function), then press the spacebar to get the right accent. This keyboard end (less than 4 mm) can protect the screen, then he has just fully recovered. A transparent strip can see the bottom of the screen of the Advantage, which automatically detects and displays handling simple data such as the time or the battery charge. Note that a leather cover is provided. In quality, it has been specially designed to accommodate the Advantage X7500 and its keyboard, with holes for the cable connections, the camera ... But it weighs then 460 grams!

The processor selected by HTC is a PXA270 Intel clocked at 624 MHz, supported by 128 MB of RAM and 256 MB of ROM. To this amazing ability addition to 8 GB of a hard disk format MicroDrive. These impressive features are needed to drive the display with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels (VGA), in addition to 65000 colors. HTC also added an ATI graphics processor designed to accelerate the display and control functions photograph. Because the sensor to the rear of the aircraft reaches a resolution of 3 megapixels and earns an autofocus. The quality is better than on previous models HTC, but it is still lower than that of smartphones from Sony Ericsson or Nokia, especially in a dark environment, and despite the presence of a powerful flash diode. The camera can make videos small and unpretentious. The sensor at the front of the camera is used primarily for video calls to 3G. There is also a GPS receiver built into the hull of the aircraft, type SiRF III. It is sensitive enough to work properly even behind glass athermic. It would also subject the AGPS downloading regular (every other day) in a calendar. Another tool, very interesting, makes its appearance, called VueFLO by HTC. It is a gyroscope that simulates the joypad by movements of the camera: on a web page large, you move by tilting the Advantage X7500. The manipulation works quite well, but we do not understand why it is reserved exclusively for Internet Explorer browsers, and Opera. And again, one or the other!

The Advantage X7500 from HTC combines the tools of wireless connection. One absent: the infrared. But this technology is aging advantageously replaced by Bluetooth 2.0, which is compatible with stereo music, Wi-Fi 802,111 b and g, a module quadband GSM and GPRS Edge, compatible with the 3G and HSDPA. What be connected everywhere, or almost! Obviously, there is no question of calling directly with the unit (except in handsfree mode), the use of pedestrian stereo kit (included) or a Bluetooth headset is essential. To control everything, HTC has trusted once again to Microsoft and its operating system Windows Mobile 5 AKU 2, that is ready to receive emails Push. HTC has added some very useful applications. Such is the case with GPRSMonitor SPB, perfect for monitoring your data, JetCet Print for making prints directly from the mobile device, the Adobe Reader to read your PDF documents, the Opera browser 8 to complete Internet Explorer, for Zip your compressed archives, and Sprite Backup for making backups. Not to mention the most important perhaps: Navigator 6, the browser software from TomTom, came with the map of a region. France and Europe are available for a few dozen euros. What about autonomy? With all these features and the display of 5 inches, it was feared the worst. But Advantage X7500 is capable of operating at full capacity for more than 3 hours in normal use for more than 8 hours.

HTC, obviously, is testing different technologies on its ranges of appliances. At the Advantage X7500, the concepts of large screen, keyboard and removable magnetic and gyro, which are being tested clients. Overall, this device is successful, somewhat successful: it gives pride of service to read your mail, reply, see Office documents, knows transform itself into autonomous GPS, all enjoying the superb screen size. We regret, however, that the characteristics give us a bit about our hunger. The screen, with its size, would have benefited from a better resolution. The camera with 3 megapixels deserved a more effective. The function VueFLO could be adapted to all applications. Rest the prices set at over 1000 euro is a blow bludgeon. There are laptops for the same amount, or less. Unfortunately, the technology showcase of HTC is beyond the reach of most budgets.